mereill



(No Model.) R. S. MERRILL.

PAPER BOX.

No. 325,758. Patented Sept. 8. 1885.

N. PETERS, Fhohrlihnmphr. Wuhlngion. D. C,

'To all whom it may concern:

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUSv S. MERRILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ACME PAPER BOX COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PAPER BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,758, dated September 8, 1885. Application filed February 6, 1885. (No model.)

Be it known that I, RUFUS S. MERRILL, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement'in Paper Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement in paper boxes has relation to locking the part or parts of the box which close the opening through which the box is filled or emptied. The object is to obtain a cheap and efficient lock which can readily be applied and can conveniently be manipulated whenever it is desired to unlock the parts. To this end I make use, on the one hand, of a slotted flap, and on the other hand of a catch mounted on or forming part of a spring-acting metallic tongue, between which tongue and the part to which the tongue is at tached and upon which the catch bears the slotted flap is inserted far enough to bring its slot opposite to or under the catch, so as to permit the latter to enter it. Under this arrangement the catch will hold and lock the slotted flap securely until it is lifted or otherwise disengaged therefrom by hand.

The accompanying drawings represent my improvement applied to a folding; box (for which kind of one it has been more particularly designed) having "sides adapted to fold together flat, combined with flaps for closing the ends.

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of the box with the two lockingflaps at one end unfolded. Fig. 2 is an end View of the same with the flaps locked together. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

The body A of the box is of known construction, and requiresno description. It has, as usuahfour closingflaps at each end. The two outer ones, 13 and C, overlap one anotherand are provided with my improved lock. The

spring-catch, which is applied to the flap B,

consists of a metallic spring-acting tongue or strip, a, which is inserted through two slits or slots, 12, in the flap, so as to project to the exterior both at rear and at front. It-s projecting rear end isbent over and down, so as to clampfirmly the flap. Its frontportion, which projects some distance beyond the front slot, but not far enough to carry it beyond the end of the flap, is bent into hook form to form a catch, as seen at c, the set of the springtongue a being such that the hook or catch 0 is caused to bear upon the contiguous face of the flap B. In the other flap, C, is formed a slot, d, intended to receive the hook c. To look the parts the two flaps are folded toward one another (the flap C overlapping the flap B) the point or outer end of the slotted flap C is inserted between the catch a and the flap B. and the two flaps are pressed down, the flap C passing between flap B and the metallic tongue c until the hook or catch 0 of the latter meets and snaps into the slot 01. This looks the parts together, and their after separation does not take'place until the catch is lifted from the slot, for which purpose I provide at the outer end of the'spring-tongue a projection, e, I

down upon that side of the box, and to be inserted between the latter and the hook-carrying tongue.

Having described my improvement, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

The combination of the part B, and the hook-carrying spring-tongue (1. applied to the same, substantially as described, of the overlapping slotted flap C, adapted to be inserted between the part B and said tongue, and in this position to be engaged by the hook on said tongue, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of January, 1885.

RUFUS S. MERRILL. 

